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Windows HDD Used As Storage?

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  • Windows
  • Storage
  • Hard Drives
Last response: in Storage
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March 9, 2014 4:14:43 PM

I have an old HDD with WinXP on it, and my current PC has Win 8.1. I want to use the XP HDD for extra storage, but I don't know how to remove windows from that drive to use it as just storage. Thanks, and happy hard drives to all.

More about : windows hdd storage

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a b G Storage
March 9, 2014 4:23:12 PM

Connect it to your computer, either through a USB drive dock or internally, inside the case. Open up Windows Explorer, find the drive, right-mouse click on the dirve, and in the context list that pops up, click on "Format". A format window will open up. Click on "Start" to format the drive.
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March 10, 2014 1:04:19 PM

mbreslin1954 said:
Connect it to your computer, either through a USB drive dock or internally, inside the case. Open up Windows Explorer, find the drive, right-mouse click on the dirve, and in the context list that pops up, click on "Format". A format window will open up. Click on "Start" to format the drive.


Thanks! I assume once I turn the PC on, it'll give me the option to either boot to XP or 8.1, at which point I'll choose 8.1. Then I can go into file explorer and format it from there.
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a b G Storage
March 10, 2014 1:32:20 PM

No, your current Windows 8.1 PC will probably not give you the option to boot XP from the USB drive. It would not boot anyway, it would not have any of the device drivers it needed to boot up your much newer PC. It would most likely blue-screen.

No, I meant to connect your old XP drive to your Win8.1 PC after it was booted up into 8.1. Just plug it in like any USB flash drive, and it will show up as a removable drive.
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March 10, 2014 1:40:00 PM

mbreslin1954 said:
No, your current Windows 8.1 PC will probably not give you the option to boot XP from the USB drive. It would not boot anyway, it would not have any of the device drivers it needed to boot up your much newer PC. It would most likely blue-screen.

No, I meant to connect your old XP drive to your Win8.1 PC after it was booted up into 8.1. Just plug it in like any USB flash drive, and it will show up as a removable drive.


Hmm. I only have it on a 7200 RPM HDD, and I've got no enclosure to put it in. Suggestions?
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March 11, 2014 12:55:23 PM

mbreslin1954 said:
You can put it in your case and connect it via a standard SATA cable, if you have a desktop. However, if you only have a laptop then you'll have to use something like this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...


Oh, ok. No, I've got a desktop, so that won't be a problem. Thanks, though.
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a b G Storage
March 11, 2014 2:14:52 PM

If you want to be sure your system doesn't try to boot from the old XP disk (it shouldn't), go into BIOS after installing the disk in the case and connecting it, and make sure that your normal Windows 8 boot drive is still set to first in the boot order.
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March 11, 2014 3:14:01 PM

mbreslin1954 said:
If you want to be sure your system doesn't try to boot from the old XP disk (it shouldn't), go into BIOS after installing the disk in the case and connecting it, and make sure that your normal Windows 8 boot drive is still set to first in the boot order.


Thanks, good to know. I also have a blank, unformatted, Toshiba laptop HDD (320gigs). I presume this would be the same for installing it as a storage drive, except for the Bios bit?
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a b G Storage
March 11, 2014 6:40:31 PM

Yeah, just anchor it somehow in your case and connect up a SATA data cable and a power cable and you're all set to go.
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March 12, 2014 12:11:48 PM

mbreslin1954 said:
Yeah, just anchor it somehow in your case and connect up a SATA data cable and a power cable and you're all set to go.

thanks. One more question: I tried just plugging the drive in (with power), and it didn't show up. Any reason why?
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a b G Storage
March 12, 2014 12:19:10 PM

Did it show up in BIOS? If not then the disk is probably dead. If it shows up in the list of HDDs in BIOS, but not in Windows, then it might be a formatting or partitioning issue. You'd have to bring up Disk Manager and see what's going on with it. If it didn't have a partition then it would not show up in Windows, or if it was partitioned properly but the formatting was messed up it wouldn't show up either.
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March 12, 2014 12:29:44 PM

mbreslin1954 said:
Did it show up in BIOS? If not then the disk is probably dead. If it shows up in the list of HDDs in BIOS, but not in Windows, then it might be a formatting or partitioning issue. You'd have to bring up Disk Manager and see what's going on with it. If it didn't have a partition then it would not show up in Windows, or if it was partitioned properly but the formatting was messed up it wouldn't show up either.


Had no partition, so that must be the issue. I never checked the BIOS, but it didn't show in Disk Manager or File Explorer. How would I go about partitioning it? I presume I'd need some sort of tool, but would it be software, hardware, or what?
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a b G Storage
March 12, 2014 2:26:23 PM

Disk Manager in Windows will partition it for you. However, if it isn't showing up in Disk Manager then that means Windows does not know about it or cannot see it. That implies that it is not functioning.
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March 12, 2014 2:35:23 PM

mbreslin1954 said:
Disk Manager in Windows will partition it for you. However, if it isn't showing up in Disk Manager then that means Windows does not know about it or cannot see it. That implies that it is not functioning.


Oh, I see. Well, thanks for all the help. As a parting question, do you know of any 1TB drives UNDER 60 USD? Can't seem to find any.
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a b G Storage
March 12, 2014 2:41:57 PM

I bought one a few weeks ago for $59 on sale at Newegg, and I think they just had another sale a few days ago. Sign up for their free e-mail subscription and you'll get their daily sales e-mail.

They just happen to have a Western Digital 1 TB now for $59.99:


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Not sure if free shipping comes with this, but when on sale they do.
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March 12, 2014 2:46:34 PM

mbreslin1954 said:
I bought one a few weeks ago for $59 on sale at Newegg, and I think they just had another sale a few days ago. Sign up for their free e-mail subscription and you'll get their daily sales e-mail.

They just happen to have a Western Digital 1 TB now for $59.99:


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Not sure if free shipping comes with this, but when on sale they do.

Thanks for all your help. Good luck on any future endeavors, and congrats on making Expert in Storage!
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